Chains of love - An analysis of Mary Wilkins Freeman’s “A New England Nun”

Content:

1.  Introduction  3

2.  Plot Summary  3

3.  Narrative Perspective  4

4.  Obsessions with Objects and the Need for Self-fulfillment  6

5.  Conclusion  9

6.  Bibliography  11

7.  General Bibliography on Mary W. Freeman’s “A New England Nun  12

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1. Introduction

“A New England Nun“ presents a late 19th century woman who is at a possible turning point in her life. She spent fourteen years in solitude and isolation, waiting for her lovers return. Yet, now that her fiancé has returned the prospect to enter marriage strikes her with awe. The aim of this examination of the short story by Mary Wilkins Freeman is to reveal the protagonist’s underlying habitual patterns that lead to her fear. In doing so, the focus will be on her relationship with objects and her joy at inane activities. Unfortunately, the restriction of word number will not allow presenting the totality of literary devices which Freeman uses to communicate the image of Louis Ellis. Nevertheless, it is the narrative perspective and some preeminent examples which will obtain priority. The eventual aim is to solve the underlying moral questions, namely “Is Louisa a strong or weak character?” and “Does her decision to become a spinster present a happy ending to the story?”.

2. Plot Summary

The setting of the story is a small town in New England. Louisa Ellis lives all by herself in a remote house, except for her dog Caesar and a canary in a cage. Fifteen years ago her first love Joe Dagget asked her to marry him, but soon after the engagement left the country to seek his fortune in Australia. However, he promised to return and marry Louisa. In the course of the fourteen years until his return Louisa always remained faithful to him and got used to living alone. She spends her days with housework, typical “maiden works”, such as sewing, cleaning, and cooking. She takes great delight in these duties and cares affectionately for her pets and possessions. For instance, she bakes corn cakes for her dog Caesar which had to spend the last fourteen years on a leach for having bit a neighbor and accordingly was ill-reputed to be a bloodthirsty monster. The story recounts an evening on that Joe pays a visit to Louisa. He has finally returned to New England and is still eager to keep his promise to marry Louisa. The subjects of their conversation are quite trivial. They talk about the weather and Joe’s mother, as well as Lily Dyer, who nurses her. After about an hour he leaves again. Not only the canary got overly excited about Joe’s visit but also Louisa feels disturbed by the chaos Joe left, e.g. he changed the order of the books on her coffee table and he knocked over her sewing basket. While Louisa cleans she ponders about her upcoming wedding and laments that she will have to leave most of her possessions behind when she moves into Joe and his mother’s house. Furthermore, the fact that Joe wants to free Caesar raises great fear in Louisa.

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A few evenings later, one week before the wedding, she goes for a walk. When she sits down to rest on a wall that is abundantly covered with berry bushes, she coincidentally overhears a conversation between her fiancé and Lily Dyer. She learns of their feelings for each others, but also of Joe’s intention to keep his promise to Louisa. The next day, she breaks her engagement. Yet, she explains to Joe that she had grown too accustomed to her life in solitude to commit a change. She does not mention Lily or the fact that she overheard their conversation. Joe accepts her decision and leaves. Eventually, Louisa is content and anticipates a life in solitude and complete harmony.

3. Narrative Perspective

A New England nun reveals a multitude of literary devices. The characters, the environment, the objects mentioned in the story, and in a way the story itself all function to represent different themes. The central theme, to which most of the sub-themes contribute, however, is Louisa Ellis as a nun-like character, a New England woman at the end of the 19 ^th century. Louisa Ellis is the protagonist of this story which is told from a third-person-narrative point of view. The fact that Louisa functions as a reflector figure for the narrative becomes clear in the very first lines of the story:

It was late in the afternoon, and the light was waning. There was a difference in the look of the tree shadows out in the yard. […] There seemed to be a general stir arising over everything for the mere sake of subsidence - a very premonition of rest and hush and night. 1

The perception of the fictional world is highly subjective, as the notion that there was a “difference in the look of the trees” and the “arising stir for the mere sake of subsidence” indicate. Due to his omniscient ability an authorial narrator would as well be aware of these facts, and could hint the changes in the look of the trees to the reader, but it is more likely here, that the narration is a perception of the world according to the main character. For instance, later on, the reader learns that Louisa uses her china tableware everyday, a habit that is regarded with resentment in her neighbors. The information about the neighbors attitude towards Louisa is not presented in an authorial narration though, but again as Louisa’s anticipation. ² A New England Nun accordingly does not only present a personal narrator, but a covert, homodiegetic narrator. The narrator focuses not only on a character, but is positioned within the story. It is Louisa Ellis who tells the story through the use of free indirect discourse. The example given above is only one passage were this becomes obvious. A clear prove is the following sentence: “Joe, buoyed up as he was by his sturdy

¹ Mary R. Reichard, A Mary Wilkins Freeman Reader (Lincoln: U of Nebraska P, 1997), [p.] 39

² Reichard, A Mary Wilkins Freeman Reader, [p.] 40

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determination, broke won a little at the last, but Louisa kissed him with a mild blush, and said good-by.” ³ The spelling of good-bye in this sentence reflects the New English accent. A dialogue between Joe and Lily later in the story also shows much of this way to recreate the people’s way of speaking. In contrast to the discussion between Joe and Lily, the presented sentence is not direct speech, but told from a third-person point of view, and therefore free indirect discourse. The description of Joe’s mother as a “domineering, shrewd old matron” ⁴ is another clear example of the free indirect discourse. The question “Who speaks?” becomes disarranged when the character Joe Dagget enters the story. Up until this point the narration focuses primary on Louisa’s life. After a dialogue between them several flashbacks function to tell the story of Louisa and Joe’s past and the feelings they had for each other. The reader obtains insight into both character’s mental state of being. Is the personal narration shifted to Joe? In fact, the narration only seems to devolve. The passage about Joe’s feelings towards Louisa claim that Joe was still in love with Louisa and that “the old winds of romance whistled as loud and sweet as ever through his ears”. ⁵ If this was really told from Joe’s perspective there would have to be an indication at his affair with Lily. As a matter of fact, the reader is fooled. Joe is not in love with Louisa anymore, but now loves Lily. Louisa, being the narrating character, does not know about this though, but anticipates that he still loves her. In contrast to this, Louisa’s emotional change is assured several times, for instance in the notion: “Louisa’s first emotion when Joe Dagget came home […] was consternation, […].” ⁶ The assumption that there was a shift in the narration is therefore wrong. Even if the reader seems to get insight into Joe’s thoughts and feelings, he is actually presented an anticipation of what Louisa believes Joe to think. The objective world is only presented through dialogue; everything else is the subjective point of view of Louisa.

Hence, the narrator is not reliable and the apparently “happy ending” becomes questionable. The composition of the final scene reflects the first scene of the story. Again, it is nature that is used as a catalyst to convey Louisa’s feelings. However, now it is presented as calm and peaceful.

Outside was the fervid summer afternoon; the air was filled with the sounds of the busy harvest of men and birds and bees; there were halloos, metallic clatterings, sweet calls, and long hummings. Louisa sat, prayerfully numbering her days, like an uncloistered nun. 7

The image from the beginning is iterated, but changed. This elliptic construction of the text creates unity and the image that changed for the better appears to represent the happy

³ Reichard, A Mary Wilkins Freeman Reader, [p.] 43

⁴ Reichard, A Mary Wilkins Freeman Reader, [pp.] 44-45

⁵ Reichard, A Mary Wilkins Freeman Reader, [p.] 44

⁶ Reichard, A Mary Wilkins Freeman Reader, [p.] 43

⁷ Reichard, A Mary Wilkins Freeman Reader, [p.] 49

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ending, the happy future that is ahead Louisa. As a matter of fact, this is again only an anticipation by Louisa. A nun-like existence, isolated from the world is, objectively regarded, not desirably. She withdraws herself not only from her former love, but strives to become a spinster. The notion “her heart went up in thankfulness” ⁸ is a lie, not only to the reader, but also to herself. However, due to the fact, that she is the narrator of the story, and she assures herself of her happiness, the whole world is presented sweet and harmonious. Nature functions as an allegory to convey this image. The exterior world is used to present Louisa’s interior world. It is mentioned just a little lines earlier that she cried the night after she broke her engagement. ⁹ This indicates her sadness, her true state of emotions which she suppresses.

Suppression is one of the major themes of the story, and will be discussed in detail later on, along with the allegories, similes and symbols that serve to convey this subject matter. It is important here do to note that all these literary devices have to be examined taking into account the fact that the narrator is not reliable.

In conclusion, Louisa is not only the protagonist and the narrator of the story, but also the subject matter of the text. Her perception of the world, her attitude towards love and her mental issues are in the center of the text. The narrative technique used by Mary E. Wilkins Freeman serves to mediate the picture of this New English woman very graceful. The narrative does not point at Louisa’s weaknesses, but lets her present herself. The reader does not judge over her, but identifies with Louisa Ellis and that way maybe comprehends why a future in spinsterhood can be desirable.

4. Obsession with Objects and the Need for Self-fulfillment

Louisa Ellis life as a nun is defined by the way in which she takes care of her home, with great accuracy and concentration. At the same time, her daily maiden duties bring her great pleasure in life; if anything, they are the only source of pleasure. In addition to sewing and taking care of her pets Louisa spends lots of time arranging her so-called “maidenly possessions”. So much the worse appears the prospect to marry Joe and move into his house, because she will then have to leave many of her treasuries behind. ¹⁰ Her difficulties to part with these objects show her relation to these, in actual fact, simple and inanimate things. For her, they are “dear friends”. ¹¹ Monika M. Elbert has pointed out that Louisa’s

⁸ Reichard, A Mary Wilkins Freeman Reader, [p.] 49

⁹ Reichard, A Mary Wilkins Freeman Reader, [p.] 49

¹⁰ Reichard, A Mary Wilkins Freeman Reader, [p.] 44

¹¹ Reichard, A Mary Wilkins Freeman Reader, [p.] 44

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possessions serve as substitution for social relations. ¹² Louisa fairly leaves her house and lives completely isolated from other town inhabitants. If ever people come close to her house they pass by in hurry fearing the old dog in the garden. Furthermore, Louisa does not attempt to socialize with other people; she devotes all her energy towards her household. According to Elbert, it is a characteristic feature of Freeman’s protagonists to project hidden and suppressed desires onto household objects. To that respect, Elbert, by relating to Freud’s theory, defines the objects as a fetish. A fetish is commonly known to be an inanimate object to which a certain attachment is maintained, e.g. a sexual attachment. The person who establishes the fetish fixates on this objects and it becomes a substitution for the actual desire. The reason for people to create a fetish is, as Elbert also notes, fear and frustration. Louisa surely is a person suffering from these concerns. As a young girl she fell in love with a man who promised to marry her, but left shortly after the engagement. She stayed in New England with her family, but again she was left alone when first her mother, and then even her brother died. The last years in Louisa’s life were dominated by solitude and isolation. Even though her life is described as pleasant and fulfilled in the short story, the analysis of the narrative perspective proved that this information is not credible. Indeed, it is the narrative perspective that makes her tendency for suppression explicit. The function of her maidenly activities, like sewing and distilling, is to keep Louisa busy, to avoid realizing the emptiness in her life. She suffers from a lack of social interaction, but tries to fill this lack with consumer goods. Alike Martha Hale in “A Jury of Her Peers” ¹³ by Elaine Showalter Louisa rewards herself with luxury items. For instance, she uses her china tableware every day. Such dishes would normally be used on special occasions, when guests are coming for dinner. Louisa always eats alone. Accordingly, the goods loose their peculiar character. Nevertheless, the fact that she considers what others might think of her habit to use them daily, indicates that she is well aware of their value; exchange value but also social value. In addition, the assumption that the neighbors talk deprecatingly about her shows that she does not even want to enter social relations. She completely retreats to a solitary existence, cherishing objects as if they were her friends or children. Elbert highlights the need for self-fulfillment that Freeman’s characters bear. Rather than to enact this desire in relationships with other people, they purchase, accumulate and arrange objects. ¹⁴ Furthermore, the fetish theory often implies the suppression of sexuality. Instead of entering a love affair to a man, Freeman’s women project their love onto collectibles. Louisa’s uses distilling and sewing as substitutions of sexual acts, as there is no purpose in

¹² Monika M. Elbert, The Displacement of Desire: Consumerism and Fetishism in Mary Wilkins Freeman’s Fiction, Legacy: A Journal of American Woman Writers, 19:2 (2002): 192-215

¹³ Elaine, Showalter, ed. Scribbing Women: Short Stories by the 19 th -Century American Women.(London: J.M. Dent, 1997), [pp.]435-455

¹⁴ Monika M. Elbert, The Displacement of Desire: Consumerism and Fetishism in Mary Wilkins Freeman’s Fiction, Legacy: A Journal of American Woman Writers, 19:2 (2002): 192-215

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these activities, but she does them for the mere pleasure of it. ¹⁵ Here, pleasure does not derive from love, but from the production of objects; objects that again serve no direct purpose. Therefore, her energy is wasted on meaningless tasks. This is proven by the fact that she even destroys her work, like she does with the linen seam, in order to be able to do it all over again. This behavior clearly shows the enormous frustration she suffers from and the great desire to somehow create meaning in her life. Once she is done with the linen work she has to realize its pointlessness. She therefore prefers never to be done, to obsessively hold onto the positive emotions she attains from sewing. Elbert consigns Louisa to the ranks of the typical New England woman of the 19 ^th century. Back then, women were educated to be self-scarifying, diligent and pious wives, servants to God and their husbands. In a way this is a process of standardization of the female character. As Elbert explains these attempts lead to regard women as objects. The devotional housewife then ranks among the inanimate household objects that she takes care of. She becomes a decoration item in the man’s house and life. In addition to the household duties, women’s role was to bear children. Louisa Ellis shows that she manages to fulfill the first part of a wife’s responsibilities perfectly. She was ready to enter the New England life when Joe Daggert ask her to marry him, but then he left and for fourteen years Louisa waited faithfully for his return. She suppressed her sexual desires and now that Joe has returned her suppression is too strong to let her emotions be turned loose. This fear is symbolized by her pets. The sub-plot about Caesar’s life mirrors Louisa’s chained existence. The dog functions as a symbol of sexuality, because of his wild and animal nature. Louisa’s brother put him on a leach fourteen years ago because Caesar bit a neighbor. Like Caesar Louisa has been on a leach for the last fourteen years; she was has been chained to her promise to marry Joe. Her discontent towards the marriage derives from this fear to set free her sexuality and, deriving from this, her fear of man. “Like the canary, Louisa flutters at this move [to set Caesar free] by Joe.” ¹⁶ The canary in the cage reflects Louisa extreme fear of Joe. He becomes the intruder in the story. His appearance “seems to fill up the whole room” ¹⁷ , he tracked in a good deal of dust ¹⁸ and he disturbs the order of the books on Louisa’s table. Joe is presented big, loud and aggressive. He is the personification of chaos while Louisa, in contrast to him, symbolizes order. Joe destroys not only the books order, but the order Louisa built up in her life, the only thing which promises her security. Moreover, the scene about the position of the gift-book is an allegory that reveals Louisa’s strength, as she rebels against Joe and puts the books back in order. This event foreshadows her later decision to break the engagement. Hence, Louisa appears as an

¹⁵ Reichard, A Mary Wilkins Freeman Reader, [p.] 44

¹⁶ Monika M. Elbert, The Displacement of Desire: Consumerism and Fetishism in Mary Wilkins Freeman’s Fiction, Legacy: A Journal of American Woman Writers, 19:2 (2002): 192-215

¹⁷ Reichard, A Mary Wilkins Freeman Reader, [p.] 40

¹⁸ Reichard, A Mary Wilkins Freeman Reader, [p.] 42

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independent woman who refuses to give away herself to a man and become an object. Ben Couch sides with Louisa and explains that she does not suffer from an obsessive neurosis but asks if she might be a heroine of her times. To Couch Louisa’s denial of her own sexuality announces her individuality.

A nun must give up sexuality and society in order to pursue a higher purpose, the service of God. Louisa gives up sexuality in order to serve her own higher purpose, her autonomy. 19

Such an interpretation would lead to interpret Louisa’s maiden activities as means of selfreflection. Most probably, this is exactly the kind of reader-reaction that Freeman intended to evoke by the use of the narrative perspective. But this is only what Louisa, suffering from a neurosis, tries to affirm to herself. What Couch calls an “autonomous identity” is actually a dependence on objects and routine. Her neurosis forces her to ripe seams from her linen work, and go on and on with this meaningless task. Though she might be independent from men and social obligation, she is chained to her maidenly possessions and her routine. “Nothing that belongs to Louisa may have contact with life.” ²⁰ The dog can never be unleashed and so is Louisa. Yet, according to Westbrook she is still a kind of heroine for the reason that she is aware of her paralysis. ²¹ The one who is set free in this story is Joe, as Westbrook remarks. Louisa knows about her own unhappiness and decides to leave Joe and Lily the chance to find happiness. Eventually, this altruism defines her as a heroine.

5. Conclusion

The most remarkable quality of Freeman’s short story is its wealth of detail. The language is very imaginative and Freeman presents a multitude of similes and metaphors, e.g. the simile of Joe to a bear in a china shop. ²² Another example for the stories sophisticated use of literary devices is the comparison of Caesar to the legend of St. George and the Dragon. ²³ Both examples show the high intellectual standard of the composition which, along with the narrative perspective, contributes to create a strong and intelligent main character, Louisa Ellis. The underlying moral question if it’s better to remain alone than enter a marriage for false reasons is a timeless theme. Likewise is Louisa’s presentation as a character who seeks happiness through objects. It’s a common attempt in today’s consumer culture, committed daily by millions of people. Louisa tries to substitute the missing social relations, the missing love with objects and assures herself that it is only objects that will

¹⁹ Ben Couch, The No-Man's-Land of 'a New England Nun'. Studies in Short Fiction 35.2 (1998): 187-198

²⁰ Perry D. Westbrook, Mary Wilkins Freeman, (New York: Twayne Publishers, Inc. 1967), [p.] 59

²¹ Perry D. Westbrook, Mary Wilkins Freeman, [p.] 59

²² Reichard, A Mary Wilkins Freeman Reader, [p.] 42

²³ Reichard, A Mary Wilkins Freeman Reader, [pp.] 45-46

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bring her happiness. In a way she shields herself from to world not to be hurt again. Objects are inanimate and will therefore emanate no danger, in comparison to human beings who are unpredictable. Due to her absolute isolation Louisa is trapped in a vicious circle and cannot overcome the frustration she suffers from. She is paralyzed. Hence, she is doomed to live a life in solitude and seek happiness in tasks beyond usual experiences with other people. However, it is wrong to judge Louisa for her weakness. She had not chosen the pious life of a nun in the first place. Joe Dagget put her in bonds when he asks her to marry him and then left for fourteen years. Accordingly, Joe’s presentation as a brutal force that invades Louisa’s world and tries to destroy is absolutely appropriate. He is not a charming prince who arrived to rescue the princesses, but the one who chained her and isolated her from the world. The parallel between the dog’s biography and Louisa’s makes this explicit. Both are kept enclosed for prophylactic purpose. Neither has committed as severe crime. In spite of all this, Louisa bears her burden and tries to seek happiness not in love but handcraft. This characterizes her as heroine. Likewise, does the ending. Eventually, she shows her grace by committing an act of true altruism and allows others to find happiness. Due to Freeman’s stylistic technique to present a variation of the initial scene the author provides a frame for the narrative and, at the same time, encourages the reader to empathize with Louisa. The notion that she cried a little after she broke the engagement indicates her suppressed sadness. ²⁴ However, she accepts her fate and decides to continue searching self-fulfillment in other options. In conclusion, Freeman created a very strong character, an intellectual, modern woman and in this respect, a heroine of her times.

²⁴ Reichard, A Mary Wilkins Freeman Reader, [p.] 49

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6. Bibliography

Primary Sources:

Reichard, Mary R., ed. A Mary Wilkins Freeman Reader. Lincoln: U of Nebraska P, 1997: 39-49

Showalter, Elaine, ed. Scribbling Women: Short Stories by 19 th Century American Women. London: J.M. Dent, 1997: 435-55

Secondary Sources:

[Books and monographs:]

Westbrook, Perry D. Mary Wilkins Freeman. New York: Twayne Publishers, Inc. 1967

[Articles in periodicals:]

Couch, Ben. "The No-Man's-Land of 'a New England Nun'." Studies in Short Fiction 35.2 (1998): 187-

198

Elbert, Monika M. “The Displacement of Desire: Consumerism and Fetishism in Mary Wilkins Freeman’s Fiction” Legacy: A Journal of American Woman Writers, 19:2 (2002): 192-215

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7. General Bibliography on Mary W. Freeman’s “A New England Nun” [Books and monographs:]

Donovan, Josephine. New England Local Color Literature: A Women’s Tradition. New York: Frederick Ungar Publishing Co. 1983

Glasser, Leah Blatt. In a Closet Hidden: The Life and Work of Mary E. Wilkins Freeman. Amherst: U of Massachusetts P, 1996

Reichardt, Mary. Mary Wilkins Freeman: A Study of the Short-Fiction. London: Prentice-Hall. 1997 Westbrook, Perry D. Free Will and Determinism in American Literature. London: Fairlegh Dickinson.

1979

Westbrook, Perry D. Mary Wilkins Freeman. New York: Twayne Publishers, Inc. 1967

[Articles in periodicals:]

Barnstone, Aliki. “Houses within Houses: Emily Dickinson and Mary Wilkins Freeman’s ‘A New England Nun’”. The Cenennial Review, 28:2 (1984 Spring), pp.129-145

Couch, Ben. "The No-Man's-Land of 'a New England Nun'." Studies in Short Fiction 35.2 (1998): 187-

98.

Csicsila, Joseph. “Louisa Ellis and the Unpardonable Sin: Alienation from the Community of Human Experience as Theme in Mary Wilkins Freeman’s ‘A New England Nun’”. American Literary Realism,

30:3 (1998 Spring), p.1-13

Cutter, Mary J. “Mary E. Wilkins Freeman’s ‘Two New England Nuns’”. Colby Quaterly, 26:4 (1990 Dec.), pp.213-225

Daniel, Janice. “Redefining Place: Femes Covert in the Stories of Mary Wilkins Freeman.” Studies in Short Fiction, 33:1 (1996 Winter), pp.69-76

Elbert, Monika M. “The Displacement of Desire: Consumerism and Fetishism in Mary Wilkins Freeman’s Fiction” Legacy: A Journal of American Woman Writers, 19:2 (2002), pp. 192-215 Harris, Susan K. “Mary E. Wilkins Freeman’s ‘A New England Nun’ and the Dilemma of Woman Artist.” Studies in American Humor, 3:9 (2002), pp. 27-38

Hirsch, David H. “Subdued Meaning in ‘A New England Nun’”. Studies in Short-Fiction, 2 (1965), pp.

124-136

Pryse, Marjorie. "An Uncloistered `New England Nun.'" Studies in Short Fiction, 20 (1983): 289-95.

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